Cheat Engine

[KryziK]

Anyone that has opened a Borderlands save file knows that it is encrypted. Most of the file looks like plain text, while some of it doesn't.

I was wondering how you would go about finding how to decrypt the file? Would you use the file itself or try to find how the program encrypts/decrypts it?

Any tips/pointers would be great!
Thanks in advance.

[Geri]

I don't have Borderlands, but how do You know it is encrypted?
Most save games are not stored as text (excluding the most lame games).

And what do You wish to change in the savegame? I have edited a bunch of save games in the past when I didn't have a memory editor. Usually it is enough to search for the value in the save and change it.
But it is easier to cheat if You use a memory editor.

[KryziK]

Access to the save is quite a bit easier for editing most of the game. For example, here is a program that allows you to change your character as well as all of the guns, and it's organized nicely based off the save data.

http://blmodding.wikidot.com/willowtree-tutorials

I'm not just simply trying to edit my health or something.

Also, I *believe* it's encrypted because it contains strange symbols as well as null characters, stuff that I can't even Copy/Paste because it errors out. But, 3/4 looks like plain text, not separated by lines.

Edit: The source is also included for that Save Editor, but I cannot understand what they are doing with the read data to "decrypt" it, if that is indeed what they are doing.

[Geri]

Did You open it with a hex editor?
If You open most of the programs, savegames, etc files, they will be shown like just a bunch of strange symbols with a text editor.
You need to use a hex editor to edit save files.

Btw. charachter editing, weapon editing etc can be done even better with a memory editor too. Even more serious cheats can be done with code injection for example.
Changing Your location is useful in a save editor though.


EDIT:
Basically the save file is just a bunch of data that the program need to use. Sorting out that data is Your job if You want to edit values in it.
Or You can use a save-game editor if someone has taken the time to find out what data is what already.

[KryziK]

It looks the exact same in a Hex Editor. I'm just trying to get it into some usable form like the WillowTree program does.

Edit: And I know all the advantages of each over the other. The save file is more important in this case. I'd rather not figure out the values of weapon parts when I can read/edit it in plain text form.

I'm also by no means new to the whole memory editing thing, I know what I want to be doing, I just don't know how the WillowTree program converts it.

Source to it is here, and it looks like there's a class for it, but I can't make out what it is very easily.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/willowtree/files/Beta11/

[Geri]

Maybe it helps if You compare an unmodified save and a modified save. Then You should see the differencies and have a clue how is it working.

I don't have the game so I can't even try out this stuff.